Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 1.djvu/387

 L APRIL is, wo*.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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Devonshire's collection, a replica existing at Wind- sor Castle. Far away the most popular is this of many pictures of the then celebrated lady from the brush of the same great artist, and it also repre- sents the supreme accomplishment in portraiture of the English School of the eighteenth century. Quite delightful and exquisitely easy and natural is the mimic action of the child. Wonderful is the contrast between this seductive work and the por- trait from the Berlin Museum, by Albrecht Diirer, of Hieronymus Holzschuher, which Dr. Bode de- clares "the pearl of all Diirer's portraits." Con- cerning it the same eminent authority says that "when seen close it has all the delicacy of a minia- ture, and yet, when beheld from a distance, it is none the less broadly effective and powerful." On the technical qualities of the workmanship, making the picture unique in its class, this is not the place to comment. ' A Fresh Breeze,' by Jacob van Ruijsdael, from Lord Northbrook's collection, is a magnificent seascape, presenting a wildly tumul- tuous sea, and informed by the very spirit of the wind. From the National Gallery, London, where it constitutes the lunette over the artist's best picture, designed as an altarpiecefor the church of St. Fredi- ano at Lucca, comes ' The Deposition ' of Francesco Francia. The flesh of the Christ is marvellous, and the faces of the women are beyond praise. Fran- cesco Francia, Aurifex, as he described himself, died in 1517, and this work has all the qualities of the century preceding his death.

Old Moss Side. By Henry Thomas Crofton. (Man- chester, 'City News' Office.)

THIS is a reprint of papers which have appeared at intervals in the Manchester City News. They were well worthy of being reproduced in a permanent form, as they record much that is of interest con- cerning men and things when Old Moss Side was a rural place, with neither churches nor chapels, and did not, we believe, though of this we are not quite certain, possess one single shop. In 1834 the district had progressed so far as to have one public- house. Mr. Crofton deals mainly with modern times. There are, however, many notes on family history which will be of service to the genealogists of the future, and these, we are glad to say, have been indexed most carefully.

As the name of the district indicates, the greater part of its surface was covered with peat, and as a consequence the roads were in a vile condition. About seventy years ago one of them, known as Withington Road, " was such a quagmire that no cart could take a full load along it." Those which carried hay and straw on the way to Manchester had to be accompanied by men armed with " pikels," whose function it was to hold up the loads so as to hinder the carts from overturning.

The writer records a curious piece of folk-lore which is worthy of attention. There was a place called Twenty Pits, which took its name from many deep pools. These were probably of a relatively modern date, as they are believed to have been dug for the purpose of getting marl for agricultural purposes. These ponds were in a secluded spot, and had become the haunt of ducks wild ones, we imagine which nested on their margins. School- boys used to fish for sticklebacks there in summer, and elide and skate thereon in winter. As these pools were deep, it is not surprising that from time to time case of drowning occurred, and that the place acquired an evil name. A malicious water-hag, we

are told, dwelt there whose name was Jenny Green- teeth. She was in the habit of seizing those who came too near her abode and dragging them down into its depths, and as a matter of course they were seen no more. We seem here to have a tale much older than these ponds if, indeed, they were modern marl-pits. Probably it is a case of trans- ference from some demon-haunted mere.

Rosemary and Pansies. By Bertram Dobell. (Pub- lished by the Author.)

ALTHOUGH we have a rule not to review books of modern verse, we feel we must turn aside to notice this little collection by an old friend who has already rendered good service to literature by his- ' Sidelights on Charles Lamb ' and his rediscovery, after two hundred and fifty years, of the poet Traherne. These recreations of Mr. Dobell are put forward with such modesty as to disarm criticism.. In his dedication to Arthur H. Bullen he says : I thought, old friend, a better gift to bring Than this poor garland, rather weeds than flowers,. Not the rich product of calm leisured'hours, But such as I from toil and haste could wring. The poems include one 'To J. W. E.' The initials- will be recognized by lovers of old ballads. There is one, ' A Song of Yearning,' three verses of whichr we quote : Our eyes are dim with watching for the dawning of

the day, The yearned-for day that 's coming when our griefs

shall melt away : Oh ! shall we never, never, of that dawn perceive a

ray?

Must we ever wait in vain?

Might we but live to see the day when ancient

wrong departs, And man no more contends with man save in the

peaceful arts ! Oh what a thrill of love and joy would glad our

wearied hearts

On such a blessed dawn !

It is a dawn we'll hope for still, ev'n though we

hope in vain ; We will not think the world was made for naught

but care and pain ; We'll still believe we shall at last a Golden Age

attain,

And every dawn be blessed !

Mr. Dobell is right in the hope he expresses that, whether the verse "attracts or repels," there is much in this little volume " that will to some kind hearts the bard endear."

Jesus Christ Gure launaren Testamentu Berria.

(Trinitarian Bible Society.)

WE understand these mysterious words on the title-page of this little volume to announce it as being a Basque version of the New Testament. Hovelacque tells us that the Spaniards have a story that the Devil spent seven long years among the Basques without succeeding in understanding a single word of their language. As we have not even served the apprenticeship of the Evil One, we may be pardoned if we shrink from discussing the merits of this translation, made originally by John Leizarraga in 1571; but as it has had the advantage of having been revised by Mr. E. S. Dodgson, we have every confidence that it is trust- worthy.